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With its new SQL 2012 release, Microsoft plans to drastically change its licensing model. According to Julie Machal-Fulks, Partner, of intellectual property and technology law firm, Scott & Scott, LLP, It is important to follow all of the steps correctly to ensure that currently owned SQL Server processor licenses are converted to the maximum number of core licenses possible.

Julie Machal-Fulks

Microsoft’s new SQL licensing could prove to be very expensive for unsuspecting customers.

Southlake, Texas (PRWEB)February 29, 2012

“Microsoft plans to drastically change its licensing model with its new SQL 2012 release. This change could have serious implications if companies are not proactively managing conversion of their licenses”, says Julie Machal-Fulks, Partner, at Scott & Scott, LLP.

For customers using SQL 2012, Microsoft will no longer allow companies to license SQL server on a processor-based model and instead has implemented a new licensing model that will be based on cores rather than physical processors.

Going forward, Enterprise Edition will only be licensed on a core basis, while the new Business Intelligence Edition and the previous Standard Edition can be licensed on either a core basis or server/CAL basis. A customer must purchase a minimum of 4 cores if it elects to license on a core basis. So if a machine has one processor and a single core, the customer must still purchase 4 core licenses. The price for 2012 SQL Server CALs is increasing by about 27%.

Microsoft is allowing its customers with Software Assurance a grace period to convert their processor licenses. If the client does not timely and correctly convert their licenses, Microsoft will impose default conversion metrics that are not favorable to its customers. It is important to follow all of the steps correctly to ensure that currently owned SQL Server processor licenses are converted to the maximum number of core licenses possible.

Enterprise customers can continue using the old license model until the expiration of their agreements, at which point the processor licenses will be converted to core licenses using the new model.

Call 214.999.0080 to discuss the ways Scott & Scott, LLP can help maximize your existing licenses and measure the impact of upgrading to SQL Server 2012.

About Scott & Scott, LLP:
Scott & Scott, LLP (http://www.scottandscottllp.com) is a boutique intellectual property and technology law firm with an emphasis on software disputes, technology transactions, brand management, and federal litigation. Our lawyers and technology professionals take a principled approach to each engagement, leveraging our experience to provide value. Our clients range from mature small businesses to publicly traded multi-national corporations who work proactively with us to creatively solve business and legal issues. We regularly work as part of a team of in-house and outside attorneys managing large-scale legal projects. We take the time to listen to a client’s objectives and understand its business before developing a custom strategy and project plan designed to give the client visibility into the process and the potential outcomes.